The God That Failed
by niyrocks
Summary: This is the ending to the Emperor's Saga, sequel to the story Nothing Else Matters. Things turn pretty grim and the mood gets darker. Someone will die, but will it be someone near and dear? Or far and cold? Find out soon. Please R
1. Default Chapter

Mia flapped her wings wearily as she carried Trunks's body steadily towards the beach. Sure her wings had expanded compensating for his weight and size, but the muscles that powered them in her back hadn't grown an inch larger. Only a few more pumps of power were left before the lactic acid in her muscles built up indefinitely and her wings would just stop working. Fortunately, luck was on her side. With one more flap that was worth all her muscles had left, she dove unto the islands sand, the tiny particles taking the might of the impact away and softening her landing quite nicely.  
  
"Mia," an angry voice said, "You are a fool." Niy looked down at Mia's sprawled position and frowned. Despite her angry expression though, Niy offered her arm and helped Mia up.  
  
"Look, Dad, it's Trunks," Gohan exclaimed as Goku leaned over his son's shoulder and peered down at the purple-haired body.  
  
"That bright light must have been from him in his time machine," Goku said frowning. "He looks pretty beaten up. I wondered what happened that made him come back here."  
  
"Whatever it is, if it hurt Trunks this bad, it wasn't pretty," Piccolo mumbled, crossing his arms.  
  
"Um, he did mumble a few words while I was carrying him," Mia said, and afterwards lightly blushed from all the sudden attention. "He said, 'Run, Mom, run and hide. He's too strong. The Emperor is too strong'."  
  
Niy's eyes flew wide open. "Oh Kami," she said, "The Emperor went to the future. He's taken over the Earth in its future."  
  
"This Trunks is from the future? If the future of this planet is already doomed then there is no hope," Mia whispered.  
  
"It doesn't work like that for us," Piccolo hissed. "The future can always be changed."  
  
"His can't now," Niy stated bleakly. Everyone stared at the ground at Trunks's body.  
  
"I'm afraid I have more bad news," Goku said. "I have one sensu bean left and three people to revive. When you slice a sense bean you only get half restoration. It's pretty useless when you chop it into thirds."  
  
"Then I guess I am left with no other option," Niy mumbled. She walked over to Trunks and placed two hands spread in the air above his chest.  
  
"What are you doing, Niy?" Gohan looked at her kneeling figure and something in his memory clicked with his thoughts. "Dende looked like that before he healed someone. Are you going to heal Trunks, Niy?"  
  
Everyone stared at the female Namek.  
  
"Yeah, but it's a bit more complicated than that, kid," Niy said, smiling grimly. "Since I don't have much ki left to revive him with, the process is going to be a bit more painful for me."  
  
"Don't do it Niy," Piccolo growled.  
  
"Since when did you care?"  
  
"Since you became valuable. If something goes wrong and you get hurt, it could cost us the mission," he hissed.  
  
"It's my soul," Niy retorted, "And it's my decision. Beggars can't be choosers and we need Trunks's help. We need every last scrap of power we can get or all of our training will be for nothing."  
  
Piccolo scowled but said nothing. Everyone else kept their peace.  
  
Niy reached her hands out over Trunks again and red fuzzy waves of power began to descend over Trunks's body. They were slow and gave off a fuzzy heat. From where Gohan stood, the waves seemed intoxicating, full of life, and vigor and strength. When Dende had revived people, his ki had been yellow and not white as nourishing. Then Gohan realized Niy' power was giving off a ki signal at all. It was as if she was giving Trunks a piece of her soul.  
  
Goku shuddered, he felt Trunks's strength returning, but something about the way the healing waves were a blood-red and lingered a little too close to Trunks's body made him go cold inside.  
  
Niy screamed in pain over and over again until she couldn't help herself and clutched her sides. She had bruises along her rib cage, blood trickling from her mouth, and dribbles more of it coming from the unclean cuts in her wrists. She cringed, terrified in the sand and felt as if she was going to throw up and couldn't breathe both at the same time. She felt a leaden cold abyss sink where part of her had once been. Her body tremorred in pain and in fear while the others just held in their breath, not sure of what to do.  
  
Trunks opened his eyes and sat up. "Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, what are you all doing here?" Trunks looked around him as he continued to speak, "Nevermind, it doesn't matter. I have to warn you about- .you!" Trunks's eyes focused on Niy's android eyes. "You are part of the Emperor's hand! You're the one that tried to kill my mother!" Trunks jumped to his feet and powered into Super Saiyan. "I'll make sure that you're dead this time. MONSTER!" 


	2. The God That Failed (2)

"Trunks," Goku said, grabbing onto one of his wrists, "Stop it, Niy is here to help us defeat the Emperor. There isn't any reason to attack her. Look, she's already down."  
  
"We won't be safe until she's dead, Goku," Trunks snarled still in Super Saiyan. "In my time after the androids came, a being named Niy took over the planet. There wasn't much resistance left and most of the people thought we needed some kind of leader. She strengthened our cities, made each village and building a work of art. In five years we had rebuilt everything, re-sculpted civilization as we know it, and we had finally had hope that we as a people could live a normal life. Then the Emperor came and we found out the harsh reality of it all- the only reason she had re- built the Earth in the first place was to hand over to the Emperor as a gift. She just handed over a planet just like that! She deserted us all just to further her own means! She's a traitor! A monster of greed and deceit! She deserves to die!"  
  
Everyone's attention went back to Niy and they watched her weakly sputter blood out of her mouth and take a shaky breath.  
  
"But Trunks," Gohan said after a moment of silence, "The reason Niy is crippled right now is because she used her energy to revive you."  
  
Trunks gaped and his face became a war of massive emotions. "This. that. thing. .she healed me?"  
  
"Trunks, she gave up a piece of her soul to revive you," Piccolo stated.  
  
"She. she. she gave me a piece of her soul?" Trunks shuddered in horror and disgust. "Tell her to give it back! I don't want to owe her anything! I don't want any piece of inside me at all! You let a monster give me a piece of its soul! You hear me?! A MONSTER!" Tears openly streaked down Trunks's face, his composure torn to shreds. "Do you realize what you've done," he said softly. "You've made me part of the evil."  
  
Mia looked back and forth between Trunks and Niy, and then slowly turned back to Trunks. "You've blinded yourself, Trunks," Mia whispered. "All you see is the monster. You're ignoring the good." Trunks wheeled his head around and finally acknowledged Mia's presence. She stared into his eyes for a minute, turned her head towards Niy's sprawled figure, and started walking towards it.  
  
"Who is she," Trunks asked as his eyes followed her figure.  
  
"Her name is Mia," Piccolo said in a low tone, "And when your time machine dropped into the ocean, she saved you from drowning."  
  
"She looks like an angel," he said.  
  
"If a purple, bat-winged, anorexic woman who doesn't clip her nails looks like an angel," Piccolo muttered to himself. "We're wasting time," Goku said, ending his silence. He broke the sensu bean in two and walked over to Rezan's form. He put one half in her mouth and moved her jaw into chewing motions until some nerve in her body connected and she finished it on her own. Satisfied, Goku took the two steps towards Vegeta's slumped figure and repeated the process.  
  
Rezan's eyes blinked open and the first thing she did was move her head up and take in her surroundings. Her glance focused on the new visitor abs she stiffly stretched herself to her feet. Rezan felt her ki respond inside of her, but it wasn't high enough to take them all out at once. In fact, she was considered an equal to most of the fighters here. Her memory was fuzzy and Rezan didn't feel quite right. Something inside of her had changed and she didn't know what.  
  
The sound of Niy coughing caught her attention, and Rezan frowned at her weakness. The weakling must have brought her here. How pathetic to be beaten by someone who was now cringing in the sand. It was to her advantage though to be left on a deserted island with a group of fighters. It was a great chance to fight and win and grow stronger, but until her opponents made the first move, she was just going to observe. They didn't seem to be paying to much attention to her anyways.  
  
Vegeta winced as he felt some bruise awaken along with his consciousness. He stiffly got up and took in his surroundings. Rezan, the weakling, was looking at him, but her expression was blank and there was someone else in the group that was more important than her for the moment.  
  
"Trunks," Vegeta said with a touch of surprise to his voice, "What are you doing here? Didn't you finish off those androids?"  
  
Trunks smiled grimly as he roughly brushed the wetness of his tears off his face. "I took care of the androids as soon as I returned from the Cell games." Trunks's face changed from that grim smile to a steel blank expression that would have worked if his eyes didn't give him away. Those blue eyes were still glassy with tears unshed and they were very deep with pain. "I came to the past, Dad, because I had to warn you about the Emperor." A single tear betrayed Trunks as it slid down his cheek. "The Emperor. he took Mom, Dad. The Emperor took Mom."  
  
Vegeta's eyes grew wide and his focus faded. He pictured Bulma bloodied or dead or hurt or alone and the pictures of his mind began to rapidly flash over and over again in his mind.  
  
"I tried, I tried to fight him. He was too powerful, too strong. Mom was screaming over and over. They punched her and beat down on her and I couldn't do anything. Anything! He laughed at me as I crawled away, thinking it more terrible for me to live with the failure than die. The only way for me to get Mom back was to live, get stronger, and pray. I crawled to the time machine. I didn't know where else to go. They took her, Dad, and I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her." Trunks stared at Vegeta with pleading eyes, searching for an answer.  
  
Vegeta groaned with grief and he closed his eyes, his bowed head shadowed so that the other fighters wouldn't see the wetness in his eyes.  
  
"Bulma, the Emperor got Bulma," Gohan said, as he clenched his fists in fury.  
  
Goku closed his eyes and looked away. His heart was so heavy he wasn't even sure if he could carry it.  
  
"He will pay for this," Vegeta said, his voice incrementally growing louder as he continued to speak. "I vow upon all my strength, my honor, and my life that this Emperor will die. He will pay for what he has done."  
  
"Until the day I meet the Emperor in battle, there will be no peace for me," Goku said, the anger in his voice so strong that everyone around him winced from the sharp edge.  
  
Vegeta and Goku looked at each other and for once there was no quarrel, no intimidation, just complete understanding between the two of them.  
  
"Then prepare yourselves," Niy said roughly as she leaned heavily against Mia's shoulder. "Your training begins now." 


	3. The God That Failed (3)

Shortly after Trunks gave his solemn promise to help the Z fighters of the past against the Emperor, and Niy felt well enough to stand, the massive training sessions began.  
  
"It's important to remember that you gain levels and experience faster by fighting someone of a higher level," Niy spoke, all business. "It is for this reason that I have chosen fighting partners for you. These partners are by no means permanent, and you will have fought everyone else by the time the Emperor arrives. For now however, pay attention. Vegeta and Rezan shall be paired, Mia and Goku, Trunks and Piccolo, and Gohan and myself. Remember, this is training, not murder. We do not have time for grudges or vengeances. Let us begin."  
  
Rezan looked over at Vegeta and when he met her glance her eyes narrowed. How dare she be lowered to his level? Well, if he wanted a fight, he was going to get one. Rezan jumped in the air to jump onto Vegeta as was met with surprise by his fist in her face. Stunned, she put her hand to her cheek and felt the bruise already there. Then she remembered that because of the fight with Niy, Vegeta and she were running at the same power. Okay, so the game got a little harder. It wasn't even close to done.  
  
A fury of punches and kicks overcame them as they continued their fight. Mia looked hesitantly over at Goku and Goku let a small smile to comfort her sneak onto his face. Mia smiled back, and let her wings shrink back to normal size. Once that was done, she leapt into the sky and Goku followed her. Her first punch he easily dodged and they became a blur of motion in the sky.  
  
"Piccolo," the purple-haired boy spoke, turning to the green Namek, "I don't think I can do this."  
  
The Namek put one of his hands onto the boy's shoulder and said, "Trunks, it's this or nothing. We're giving all we have to give because that's all we have to give. No one's expecting you to be or do anything but spar with your partner. Niy might have been a traitor in your time, but monster or not, right now she is our only hope."  
  
The boy nodded his head, his face grim, but understanding. He lowered himself into a fighting pose and Piccolo mirrored his movements. They both glared into each others eyes and without a second to lose charged into each other onto the battlefield. Both of them were hardened with loss and hate and vengeance and the other fighters paused in their fighting to watch them, but after a few seconds went back to the kicking and punching they were all so used to.  
  
"Are you ready kid," Niy asked, looking at the boy Gohan.  
  
"Yes, I'm ready," Gohan responded, sinking into his fighting pose.  
  
"Good," she replied, as he dodged her first attack.  
  
Pretty soon all of the fighters powered up to the highest level and all of them had their own scoring of cuts, welts, bruises, and scrapes. Each had formed a grudging respect for the other, and they all (except for Goku and Gohan) tried their best not to show it. During the day they would fight with their chosen partners and during the night they would either grab themselves a few hours sleep, or more commonly fight with partners of their own choosing, trading their secrets from their learning to each other. For six days straight they would fight each other, always resting on the seventh, giving time for each fighter to rest, heal, and grow. After every six days they would trade partners during the day, the night still for their choosing.  
  
At night, Vegeta and Rezan developed a habit of sparring in the thickest of the island's bramble. Piccolo and Niy would meditate some five hundred yards away, floating above the rippling ocean. Mia and Trunks would sit on a rock outcropping and talk to each other as the night went by while Gohan and Goku slept, ate, or did whatever a father and son do alone.  
  
A couple of years and sweat and blood flew by and before you knew it, Death was ringing the doorbell. 


	4. The God That Failed (4)

Niy saw Mia's form and she watched her stare at the sky. Mia looked at the rising sun as if frozen or stunned.  
  
"What do you feel," Niy asked her in a low, uninvited tone.  
  
"Today's the day," she said, "They're here."  
  
Niy's eyes widened with shock, but only for a split-second before her well-practiced blank expression took over. "I knew this moment would come," she said, "But I never expected it to. Somehow I thought this might all be a nightmare I could just wake up from. I am such a fool."  
  
Mia turned around to look at Niy, placing her hand on Niy's arm. "This is a nightmare, Niy, and we're fighting for our right to wake up. If we don't win, the Earth might as well just have been a dream."  
  
"I don't live in dreams," Rezan said causing both Mia and Niy to turn around. "I make my own reality if I don't like the one I've given, and I'm sure not going to be defeated by some Emperor."  
  
Mia and Niy lowered their heads.  
  
"Mia, your dagger."  
  
Mia reached for it without hesitation, unsheathed it, and handed it to Niy.  
  
"This day is too precious to let Time claim it for herself," Niy spoke softly. She closed her left eye and sliced the skin from her brow to the top two inches of her cheek. She handed the knife to Rezan, hilt first who hesitated for a second, but did the same thing to herself. Rezan handed the knife to Mia and although she seemed scared for a moment, she sliced herself too.  
  
"If there is no chance to win then one of us must survive, someone must live to remember and tell the tale. We worked too hard, worried too much, gave up everything to lose it all."  
  
The Earth shook and the three female fighters turned their heads in the direction of the vibrations.  
  
"That must be them," Goku said, the rest of the Z fighters behind him."  
  
"Yes", Mia whispered, "The Emperor's Hand has landed."  
  
"Then what are we doing here," Vegeta asked frowning.  
  
"Yes, what are we doing here," Niy responded softly, but in a serious, even tone.  
  
Niy lifted off in to the sky, Mia immediately following then Rezan, Vegeta and Piccolo, Trunks and Gohan, and last but not by far the least, Goku. They each felt their enemy's power level and there was not one face that wasn't solemn, or one shoulder that felt light. They all felt Fate's crushing weight upon their back and they dealt with it as any normal person would; they buried it inside, took a deep breath, and kept on going.  
  
After about ten minutes of flying, they saw clouds of smoke rise from a depression in a grassy field on an island about three times the size of the one they had trained on. It was only a few more seconds before they saw the space pod and landed. Patiently, they waited for their fate to come, each fighter knowing that the chances of their death were far greater than of them living. A dark shadow slid out of the space pod's dust, and all of the Z fighters held their breath. The dust parted like a heavy curtain as the creature's golden wings extended outwards. His light grey skin seemed smooth, but his joints were very bony and despite his obvious muscularity, made him look anorexic. His flat teal hair slid from his forehead and down his face, but the hair couldn't hide the golden cat-like eyes. The pupils shrunk into a cold stare. On his cheek a pink cross-like scar marred his otherwise stunning perfection. His long gold nails narrowed into sharpened points. His golden armor ended halfway down his chest and two long sheathes hung from his jeweled belt. One of the fighters gasped.  
  
"Zallor," Niy muttered, awe-struck.  
  
The tall gold-winged enemy froze in an uncomfortable silence as his mind made the mental connection between his eyes and his memories.  
  
Mia watched this Relian, stunned, as the gears in her head slowly turned, memories being uncovered from dusty nailed down boards.  
  
"Oh Kami, no not this planet, please, not now," the Relian named Zallor groaned in a very low deep voice. "Niy you have to leave now, if the Emperor finds Miandria here he will-" Zallor instantly paused as he caught Mia in his sights, recognition working its magic slowly over him.  
  
"Zallor," Mia said, tears streaming down her face. "My Kami, Zallor, is that really you?"  
  
"Miandria," Zallor responded tears glittering in his eyes, "I. .I looked so long for you, I can't believe. .I mean. you. .you're here. no more looking. .no more praying. . no more doubts. "  
  
Mia's whole body shook, her face quivered and tears streamed down her face in an endless river of tears. She ran full speed, closing the distance between herself and him and leaped into his arms where she buried her face into his chest and he buried his head into her hair. The held each other so tightly in desperation that they might never get to see each other again that both of them could barely breathe. But breathe they did, Zallor's hand holding Mia's head as they both heaved with sobs of joy.  
  
"Zallor, my best friend, I've been so lonely, I've missed you so much," Mia sobbed.  
  
"I know, I know, hush my little princess," he said cradling her against him.  
  
The Z fighters stared at the couple with raised eyebrows and astonished looks.  
  
"What the hell is going on here," Piccolo growled.  
  
"Exactly what I was wondering," Trunks responded in the same confused tone. 


End file.
